How to Get Through a Crisis

I’m sure you’ve been there before. You get that heavy feeling in the pit of your stomach. Your heart is racing. Alarm bells are ringing in your ears. If you’re in the midst of a crisis, you’re going to be hurting. A lot.

No matter how many plan B’s you might have, sometimes, bad things just happen. Once the event has occurred the best you can do is to try and get through it and try to reduce the impacts on your reputation. Follow these strategies to find out how to get through the tough times.

Identify a contact
When it comes to crises, you need to think about the people that are going to be affected by it. They might be different groups of people like customers or your boss or other contractors. Try to identify a single person that can be your primary contact about the situation. People may be hostile but you need somebody to help relay messages to the people that are affected.

Through them you can communicate exactly what you plan to do about the situation and they can also let you know how everybody else is feeling, without the angry mob.

Get help from authority figures
If this is a work crisis, you need to talk with your boss. Even in personal situations try and talk to somebody who has some power to help out. At this stage, it’s ultimately about how ell you can manage your relationships. Having somebody else on side that you can bounce ideas off and get advice from will be a huge asset.

Don’t be afraid to admit your mistakes and failures. Being humble in these situations will show that the situation is important to you and that you plan to do something about it.

Manage your communication strategy
Communication is crucial in any crisis situation. You really need to keep an eye on what information reaches those that are affected by the crisis. Not just what is said but how things are said. The last thing you want is for a slip of the tongue to cause unnecessary issues for you.

Remember that your goal is to hold onto others’ trust in you. From the outset, communication will be a key factor in whether those affected will continue to have faith.

A crisis situation can be stressful and emotionally taxing on anybody but people will respect you if you handle the situation proactively and with grace. Keep the end in sight and strive to keep your relationships positive.